This is a survey of the development and practice of butterfly conservation in south east Australia, tracing the evolution of the science through a series of cases from the focus on single subspecies through increasing levels of ecological complexity to critical biotopes and communities.
Butterfly Conservation in South-Eastern Australia summarises much previously scattered information, and provides access to much regional information of considerable interest to practitioners elsewhere.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part 1. Setting the scene: south-eastern Australia's butterflies and their conservation
Chapter 1 Australia's butterflies: some background
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Diversity
1.3 Biogeography
1.4 Collecting and recording
1.5 Distribution and conservation status
Chapter 2 Environments for butterflies in south eastern Australia
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Environmental change
2.3 Threats and butterfly declines
2.4 Urbanisation
Chapter 3 Butterflies in Australian conservation legislation
3.1 Introduction: History, development and reception
3.2 The Butterfly Action Plan
3.3 Consequences of recognition for conservation need
Part 2. Cases: subspecies to communities
Chapter 4 A wetland skipper on sedges: Hesperilla flavescens
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Hesperilla flavescens flavia
4.3 Hesperilla flavescens flavescens
Chapter 5. The Australian hairstreak, Pseudalmenus chlorinda
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Biology and conservation
5.3 Discussion
Chapter 6 Tales of two coppers, Paralucia spp.
6.1 Introduction
6.2 The Eltham copper, Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida
6.2.1 Biology
6.2.2 Conservation
6.2.2.1 Larval counts
6.2.2.2 Adult counts
6.2.2.3 Threats
6.3 The Bathurst copper, Paralucia spinifera
6.3.1 Biology
6.3.2 Conservation
6.4 Discussion
Chapter 7. Unity in richness: Azure blues (Ogyris spp.) in patchy environments
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Biology and conservation
Chapter 8. Butterflies in a disappearing ecosystem: alpine Satyrinae
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Alpine butterflies
8.2.1 Oreixenica ptunarrra
8.2.2 Oreixenica latialis theddora
Chapter 9 'Butterfly community No 1'
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Mount Piper
9.3 Communities in legislation and practice
Part 3. Lessons learned, and future endeavour
Chapter 10
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Taxonomic uncertainty
10.3 Needs for conservation
10.4 Fire as a management tool
10.5 Conservation and landscape issues
10.6 Climate change
10.7 Expanding ranges
10.8 Effective butterfly conservation
10.9 Towards management
10.10 The future
10.11 Lessons from and for elsewhere
10.12 Broader regional context
References
Index
"Essential reading for anyone undertaking conservation science. The insights and advice are built on a lifetime of theoretical and practical experience by one of the world's leading professional arthropod conservationists, well known for his publications [...] . In reading this book, you are left in no doubt that you are being taught by a master of the immensely difficult practice of conservation, in degrees of difficulty an arena well beyond the comparatively simple task of carrying out field research for publishing papers.
- Roger L. H. Dennis, Journal of Insect Conservation, Vol. 15, 2011